http://www.etbscreenwriting.com An Emotional Toolbox Website Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:02:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I saw this in an Op Ed piece by Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times and I believe it applies as much to writing in this market as to any other kind of job: In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/average-is-over/ Though this isn’t a scientific ranking, it’s the closest anyone’s come to tabulating which books inspire the most tattoos, given the Internet’s evidence. What you’ll find below shows a fascinating effect: as you look past the superficial design, you’ll find a wholly specific reason, wholly specific to the individual. It’s ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/literary-tattoos/ Barbara Baig has taught writing for over twenty-five years and is the author of How To Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play (Writer’s Digest Books). She offers free practice-based lessons for beginning and struggling writers at www.wherewriterslearn.com. http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/09/guest-blog-post-how-deliberate-practice.html In study after study, researchers have found no evidence ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/repetition-and-reflection/ I saw the article, partially quoted below, on a website called Brain Pickings.  The essay reminds me of much of what is wrong with movies today.  They are driven by plot.  These movies feature interesting, suspenseful, hilarious or adventurous circumstances in which a character moves from point A to point B ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/plot-vs-character/ It's hard to understand how a seasoned storyteller like Steven Spielberg can make such basic mistakes in both War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin. One of the most common problems with scripts that don’t work is the lack of a clear and specific want vs. a deep and powerful inner ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/tintin/ Although this website is not dark in protest of SOPA I stand with those who are!  Here is why-- http://mashable.com/2012/01/17/sopa-dangerous-opinion/ http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/sopa/ I saw this speech by Brene Brown about vulnerability and fear on a Ted Talk.  Everything she says applies to writing and is part of the Character Map eBook.  I thought it would be interesting to hear about these issues from a researcher, scientist and storyteller.  If you want to map ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/vulnerability/ Steven Spielberg's War Horse is the definition of an episodic narrative with very little character development.  A brave courageous boy acquires a brave courageous horse, the boy loses horse, he is determined to find horse again, he succeeds and brings the horse home.  A goal is set and we watch it ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/war-horse-spielberg-loses-his-way/ In addition to working on scripted drama around the world, I also work on unscripted or reality shows. The narrative problems are surprisingly similar. In a lawyer show, a cop show or a doctor show a whole group of characters are doing pretty much the same thing. They all ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/celebrity-chefs-character-types/ I've just discovered a wonderful new website called The 99%.  One of the videos on the site is a discussion by the photographer and now filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman on creativity, wisdom, curiosity and success.  This is really worth your time and may even change the way you think about success-- Andrew ... http://www.etbscreenwriting.com/curiosity-and-rigor-the-keys-to-success/